A wife, mother, runner, teacher & writer, I have to hit the ground running.

i am not a rock

About this blog

By Emily Dickey

I am a 30-something Waynesboro native. My husband Chip and I have been married for 13 years and are the parents of Nora (9) and Eve (5). I am a high school English teacher, who dreams of one day having my books published. An avid runner, I have
...

I am a 30-something Waynesboro native. My husband Chip and I have been married for 13 years and are the parents of Nora (9) and Eve (5). I am a high school English teacher, who dreams of one day having my books published. An avid runner, I have medals from four marathons and five half-marathons hanging from my mirror for inspiration to continue hitting the pavement.

On average, I interact with more than 100 people per day – including teens, adults, young kids, grandparents, co-workers, friends, neighbors, relatives and acquaintances.

Together, we are a tribe.

Many times, I don’t give a thought as to what their impact is on my life. Some days I am overjoyed to see them, while other days I pass by them without a single word, barely a glance. At times a break in schedule or an upheaval from my daily routine will cause me to take a second to notice those around me. But more often than I would like to admit, I take for granted the people who mean so much to me.

Likewise, I don’t think about the way that my presence or existence weighs on theirs. At times, we coexist; sometimes we pass like ships in the night. Life has a way of making things chaotic and hectic, so that at the end of the day you hardly remember what you had for breakfast, let alone what you said to someone in passing.

Regardless – the impact is there. Whether we acknowledge it or not – my life is the way that it is because each of these people has been in it. Whatever the capacity, these people have helped to shape my thoughts, morals, beliefs and understandings.

As human beings, we can’t help but feel compassion for those we love. So when a tragedy hits their life, the aftermath is felt by all of us. It’s interesting – we might not have talked for months or even years, but when someone is visited by heartbreak and devastation, the repercussions tremor through our souls like earthquakes. I can’t help but cry when I think about a recent tragedy that has struck my community; a tragedy that has struck the life of someone I truly care about.

But this isn’t the only one. There are tragedies happening all around us. We can’t make sense of them. It is impossible to truly understand why they occur. In fact, we would make ourselves crazy trying to solve all of the catastrophes that occur throughout the day. Sadly, we can’t stop those crises from happening. As humans, we can only do so much.

Although we can’t prevent heartbreak from engulfing the ones we love and care about – there is something we can do. Be there for them. It is so important to let them know that we’re thinking of them.

To let them know that we’re there.

It only takes a few words, a meaningful card, a warm embrace, a friendly smile, a shoulder to cry on – to let them know that they aren’t alone in their anguish.